Schools, others benefit in final NYS budget

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Sullivan County schools received substantial aid increases under the recently passed New York State budget. Total school aid increased to Sullivan County schools by more than 14.5 percent. Eldred received the largest percentage increase, at 21 percent ($815,000), with Monticello school district coming in close behind at 20.9 percent ($4,587,766). The increase for Sullivan West was 11.26 percent ($1,258,252).

Among the municipalities granted aid in the budget were the towns of Rockland and Callicoon, who both received $50,000 in flood relief funds.

According to Senator John Bonacic, proposed cuts in medical funding that at one time had been estimated at $1.2 million for Catskill Regional Medical Center were largely eliminated in the final budget.

Thirty million dollars in aid for dairy farmers was approved statewide, but data on Sullivan County’s share of that is not available at this time.

Independent living center gets million-dollar boost

ALBANY, NY — A new independent living center in Sullivan County came a step closer to reality with the allocation of $1 million for three such centers, one of which will be in Sullivan, in the new New York State budget. Independent living centers are community-based, nonprofit, consumer controlled centers available to all people with disabilities. An additional $500,000 is also included in the budget for cost adjustments allocated to currently operating centers.

“Sullivan County is a large county that does not have an independent living center,” said Senator John J. Bonacic (R/I/C - Mount Hope). “While Action Toward Independence has a satellite office, a full service center will help to meet the needs of the disabled in Sullivan County.”

Legislation to create the center in Sullivan County was passed last year.

Better long-term care system being developed

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — Sullivan County is developing a single point of entry for long-term care services, and will hold a public meeting of the Long-Term Care Council from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 19 to discuss its implementation.

The single point of entry is a state-mandated program that serves the elderly, and persons of all ages with physical disabilities, provides screening for needs, information about options and care coordination among the various agencies responsible for long-term care.

The Sullivan County Office for the Aging, Sullivan County Public Health Services, and Sullivan County Department of Family Services are all engaged in development of the new system, which is scheduled to be in operation starting in June of this year. The Long-Term Care Council is an advisory board created to help with the planning process.

For more information call 845/794-3000, ext. 3191.

Grannis wins approval as DEC chief

ALBANY, NY — Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s controversial pick for head of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Assemblyman Alexander “Pete” Grannis, has finally won confirmation by the state Senate.

Grannis had attracted significant opposition from the hunting and gun lobby, who feared that he would try to restrict gun use, hunting and trapping. Grannis countered by saying he had hunted in his childhood and was not opposed to sporting interests.

The confirmation vote was 32-18, including an affirmative vote from Sullivan County’s representative, Senator John Bonacic (R/I/C – Mount Hope).

Clinton’s four-point plan would address subprime crisis

WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Hillary Clinton has announced an initiative to meet the developing crisis in the subprime mortgage market, marked most recently by the bankruptcy of New Century Financial, the nation’s largest independent subprime mortgage lender.

Noting that a lax regulatory environment has probably contributed to current problems, Clinton has called on the federal regulators to adopt rules that ensure greater oversight of the industry and put an end to the most abusive and deceptive lending practices. Her four-point program would include face-to-face counseling for would-be borrowers; limits on mortgage prepayment penalties; strengthening the Truth in Lending Act and existing federal regulations to ensure plain-talk, no-fine-print disclosure; and a possible “foreclosure timeout” to create incentives for lenders to identify troubled mortgages and work out solutions that avoid foreclosure. Clinton has also introduced legislation to strengthen and modernize the Federal Housing Administration’s mortgage insurance program, which provides a stable alternative to the subprime market.

Anti-NYRI coalition gains reinforcement

REGION — Communities Against Regional Interconnect (CARI), a coalition comprising eight counties and four citizens’ groups opposing the New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI) power line, recently welcomed a new member. SayNo2NYRI, an incorporated not-for-profit citizens group centered in Orange County, officially joined the coalition on March 13.

Chris Cunningham, chairman of the Sullivan County Legislature and CARI, said, “Over the past nine months, every time we stood up to oppose NYRI, we found SayNo2NYRI beside us making the same or supporting arguments. The CARI citizens groups are a real strength. Joining forces with SayNo2NYRI makes sense.”

SayNo2NYRI was a powerful supporter of the legislation passed last year that limited NYRI’s use of eminent domain.

For more information visit www.SayNo2NYRI.com or call 845/386-2872.